Sacred dance at Rothko Chapel

The Rothko Chapel presents Tewa Dancers from the North, a family ensemble of Pueblo Native American dancers, in two performances, on October 10 at 7 in the evening. and October 11 at 1 in the afternoon.
The following is directly taken from the Rothko Chapel press release:
"Their celebratory dances, performed in authentic costumes and with traditional drums, will take place on the plaza in front of the Chapel.  On October 10, the performance will be followed by an outdoor screening of the Houston premiere of Dancing from the Heart, a film documentary about the ensemble and their culture by dance writer and art historian Marilyn Hunt.
"The ultimate purpose of Tewa dance is sacred - dance as prayer, dance to keep humanity in harmony with the universe.  Among the dances the ensemble performs are the Deer Dance, Butterfly Dance, Women’s Pueblo Dance, Buffalo and Winter Buffalo Dances, Eagle Dance, and Friendship Dance.
"Tewa Dancers was founded in the 1970s by Andrew Garcia, who drew upon the traditions of his Native American culture to combat the ravages of alcohol in his life and that of the young people in the northern New Mexico pueblos.  Garcia has commented, “It’s through dances that we pray and give blessings and also get those blessings back.  This was the way of our prayers before we were introduced to Christianity.  I have heard the stories from my grandfather, who lived to be 102 years old.  He told me about many things we have lost, but he urged me to stay on track, not lose sight of the dances, the songs, and the regalia as well as the dance customs.”
"The Rothko Chapel is a modern meditative environment inspired by the painted murals of the American artist Mark Rothko.  In the tradition of John and Dominique de Menil, its founders, The Rothko Chapel continues to engage people spiritually, artistically, and intellectually by bringing leading experts, scholars, and religious leaders to discuss worldwide human concerns and critical issues.
"Seating for the event is first-come, first-serve.  Audience may bring lawn chairs and/or blankets for seating in the grassy areas nearby."

Allah Made Me Funny

Allah Made Me Funny is the most annoying and least funny stand-up comic documentary ever made. There's no cultural divide to cross or great insight into other religions to divine. This film focuses on three comedians who just aren't very funny. Similar documentaries like The Original Kings of Comedy or the more recent Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland (say that three times real fast) offered seasoned performers going it alone against un-recruited audiences.
That's not to say Allah Made Me Funny is bad in the sense that Hollywood movies are bad. It's more a matter of it having the integrity of an infomercial and sloppy production values. If you want to talk bad there were nine films released last weekend and a couple of studio films were just plain old bad. I'm talking about Beverly Hills Chihuahua and How to Lose Friends & Alienate People.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua would have Uncle Walt grimacing with disdain. This critic loves Disney films from the past like The Three Lives of Thomasina or the original The Incredible Journey. Those were films made with love, a heartfelt poem to animals. Chihuahua takes the Babe talking animal routine and dumps it to the bottom of the barnyard trough. Disney can't market a film like Swing Vote or Miracle at St. Anna but they can sell the shit out of talking animals, which in Chihuahua includes a cute rat and iguana. By contrast MGM totally botched up what should've been the male equivalent of The Devil Wears Prada. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People chronicles a brash male writer who goes to work for Vanity Fair. The jokes all fall flat, the humor is too broad when it should be subtle and proven performers like Simon Pegg and Jeff Bridges are wasted with misdirection.
But back to Allah Made Me Funny. The three comics, Preacher Moss, Azhar Usman and Mohammed Amer tell jokes that made me wince rather than grin. None of the material was risque or blue, a trademark for stand-ups. The audience was part of the package. The whole thing was filmed before a recruited crowd that seemed to laugh on cue because that's what they were there to do. Maybe if the filmmakers had actually followed the trio in real nightclub situations the film would have some veracity.
Ironically a similar film, one that documented Muslim stand-up comics in comedy clubs and was made by Houston filmmakers Sooudebeh and James Babcock, Comedy Middle Eastern Style (available through cinemaguild.com) covered the same material only for real.
Allah Made Me Funny may not provide many laughs but it does show that the world of comedy isn't limited to any specific demographic. Everyone thinks they're funny and getting on a stage in front of people at least develops their instincts.

Ultimate conspiracy film

The Parallax View, a 70s film starring Warren Beatty and directed by Alan Pakula, may well be the ultimate conspiracy film of all time. On Monday nights in October the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston screens political themed films including a couple of my favorite conspiracy films.
Let's just review the historical record concerning assassination in America. The Parallax View compels the audience to confront inconsistencies in the Warren Commission and the assassinations of President John Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy, not to mention Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King. The Parallax View came out in 1974. You've all heard of the Zapruder film no doubt? Well that film in its entirety was never shown to the American public until 1975, and by no less than ABC correspondent Geraldo Rivera on a show called Good Night America. Up until then the only glimpse people had of the Zapruder film were single frames printed in magazines. Another film, Executive Action (1973) questioned the number of witnesses to the JFK assassination who'd died and explored the intelligence community's covert use of black operations. The Parallax View may be the most important film you see this year.
Pakula and ace cinematographer Gordon Willis stage the opening murder to mirror the Robert Kennedy shooting. Another scene in the middle of the movie involves a montage designed to recruit potential assassins by the mysterious Parallax Corporation. This sequence has been emulated in other films but never topped for its mind blowing recognition of the subversive intent of images.
Other films in the series include Medium Cool and the original The Manchurian Candidate. The fourth Monday concludes with Reds also starring Beatty.
Film schedule: The Parallax View, Monday, October 6, at 7 pm.; Medium Cool, Monday, October 13 at 7 pm.; The Manchurian Candidate, Monday, October 20 at 7 pm.; and Reds, Monday, October 27 at 6 pm. The Parallax View will be introduced by University of Houston's Professor Garth Jowett and Reds will be introduced by Sissy Farenthold from a separate series called Movies Houstonians Love. Farenthold was the second woman in U.S. history to have her name entered as a Vice Presidential nominee (in 1972).

Battle in Seattle

An ensemble cast all seemingly at their career best give Battle in Seattle a sharp edge guaranteed to keep audiences rapt with attention. Written and helmed by actor Stuart Townsend the film marks a provocative directorial debut. The story focuses on activists, politicians. journalists and police at the WTO event in Seattle in November and December of 1999.
Townsend recalls the late 60s docu-drama Medium Cool (itself showing at the MFA on October) and mixes news footage and real events with fictional characters. The opening shows the origins of the World Trade Organization beginning in 1947 when 23 countries created a general agreement on tariffs and trade, or the GATT. In the mid-90s the expanded members became the WTO. As the film illustrates the current organization can impose fines on countries that don't abide by their protocol. "It ensures that large corporations can operate anywhere unencumbered by individual country's laws."
Clean air laws are gutted, genetically modified foods are forced on consumers. The end of the century meeting in Seattle was designed to add new initiatives to the WTO's agenda. The stellar cast includes Woody Harrelson and Channing Tatum as police, Ray Liotta plays the mayor, Charlize Theron as Harrelson's wife, Martin Henderson as a protest organizer and Michelle Rodriguez and André Benjamin as activists.
Battle in Seattle is balanced enough to appeal to general audiences but the sympathy of the filmmakers rests on the side of the protesters. The plot twists give the film a propulsive narrative flow that rivals big budgets actioners. Battle in Seattle currently unwinds in an exclusive engagement at the Angelika downtown. There are moments of brutality that will be tough for some, but the reality is always harsher than the recreation.